Combination tea strainer and drop catcher



May 2, 1939. E. STAMM COMBINATION TEA STRAINER AND DROP CATCHER Filed Nov. 15, 1937 INVENTOR ER/CH STHMM .Aflaw 7f ATTORNEY Patented May 2, 1939 PATENT OFFlCB 'COMBINATION TEA STRAINER AND DROP CATCHER- Erich Stamm, Berlin, Germany Application November 15,

1937, Serial No.

174,519 /g. In Germany November 25, 1936 t 2 Claims,

The present invention relates to tea-strainers, and, more particularly, to a tea-strainer of the type adapted to be inserted into the spout or nozzle of tea-pots.

Heretoiore, various tea-strainers have been suggested for insertion in the nozzle or spout of the tea-pot. These conventional tea-strainers were generally constituted of a handle and groups of elastic wires or bristles or a wire coil associated with said handle and adapted to substantially fill out the spout. These conventional strainers had various disadvantages. Thus, they have been difflcult to insert into and to remove from the spout and generally their position with- 15 in the spout was not positively assured so that they would frequently fall out of the spout during the pouring of the tea. Moreover, their appearance was unattractive and clumsy and did not harmonize with the usual appearance of the 20 tea-pot.

It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the disadvantages and inconveniences of prior tea-strainers of the described characteia,

It is another object of the present invention 25/ to provide a tea-strainer of improved character which can be readily inserted into the spout or nozzle of a conventional tea-pot, which is safely and positively retained therein during operation, and which may be readily removed from the 30 spout at a moment's notice for the purpose of inspection and cleaning.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel tea-strainer of improved straining ability which will satisfactorily operate both in 35 narrow and wide spouts, which will not be blocked or clogged by tea leaves, and the outer portion of which is adapted to act as a drop-catcher.

The invention also contemplates a combination tea-strainer and drop catcher adapted to be inserted into the nozzle or spout of conventional tea-pots of various dimensions, which is extremely simple in construction, is satisfactory and foolproof in operation, and which may be manufactured and sold at a low price.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 illustrates a side elevational view of a.

59 tea-strainer embodying the principles of the present invention;

Fig. 2 depicts a vertical sectional view, somewhat fragmentary, of the spout of a tea-pot hav-' ing the tea-strainer and drop-catcher of the invention inserted therein; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the resilient handle of the tea-strainer shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Broadly stated, according to the principles of the present invention, a handle or body member 5 constituted of resilient wire is provided. This handle or body member is so shaped as to form a resilient element which due to its arched or curved character is firmly and positively retained within the spout of a tea-pot. The lower end of the handle has a plurality of resilient wires attached thereto, the free ends of the wires extending upwardly within the spout and forming a wire broom, or group of wires, extending to the inner surface of the spout. The upper or free end of the handle or body member is so shaped as to have a U-shaped free end projecting over the outer edge of the spout and directed in a slightly downwardly inclined direction. This U- shaped free endis adapted to act as a dropcatcher and to prevent drops of tea remaining thereon from falling off. Preferably, the individual wires constituting the strainer are waved or corrugated whereby the straining efiect is considerably improved and the strainer becomes 5 more adaptable for operation in spouts of varying diameter. Thus, in a relatively narrow spout or nozzle, the waving or corrugations of the wires will prevent excessive compression of the group or bundle of wires and provides passages vfor the flow of liquid which are not readily blocked or clogged. On the other hand, in a relatively wide spout the corrugated character of the wires will cause filling out of the spout to a greater and more uniform extent so that no un-strained liquid may flow past the strainer. Moreover, the inherent elasticity of the complete structure is greatly increased by the corrugations of the wires.

Referring now more particularly to the draw- 40 ing, a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated. Reference character I denotes a group or bundle of resilient wires having one of their ends connected by means of a clamp or similar fastening element 2. Member 2 is attached to the lower end of body member 3 which is constituted of resilient wire bent to a curved or arched shape, which du'e to its shape andits resilient character will be firmly seated within the spout of a tea-pot and which will not be acci- 5o dentally displaced within or fall out of the spout during the manipulation of the tea-pot. As it appears from the drawing, wires l areof a waved or corrugated character in accordance with the principles of the invention. The upper or free end 4 of the handle or body member is U-shaped and is directed downwardly in a slightly inclined position and serves as a drop-catcher.

The operation of the combination tea-strainer and drop catcher embodying the invention will be best understood from Fig. 2 depicting the device in its operative position within the spout of a tea-pot. As shown in Fig. 2, the bundle or group of corrugated wires I completely fills out spout In of the tea-pot and due to the resilient character of the handle or body member 3 is firmly and positively retained within the spout. The U-shaped upper end 4 of handle 3 projects over the edge of the spout and acts as a drop-catcher. At the same time, when it is desired to remove the teastrainer from the tea-pot, handle or body member 3 provides a convenient hold which can be conveniently gripped by the fingers. The tea leaves I! or, in case the strainer is employed in a coffee pot, the coffee sediment are positively retained by the wires of the strainer and may be removed at convenient intervals.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment thereof, variations and modifications may be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from the principles of the present invention. I consider all of these variations and modifications as within the true spirit and scope 30 of the present invention as disclosed in the present description and defined by the appended claims,

I claim:

1. A strainer for tea-pots and the like which comprises in combination a curved body portion constituted of resilient wire adapted to be inserted into the spout of a tea-pot and to be positively retained therein by means of resilient deformation thereof, and a plurality of corrugated resilient wires having one of their ends secured to the lower end of said body portion and-having their other end extending to the inner surface of said spout to form a strainer element therefor, the upper end of said body portion extending slightly beyond the upper end of said spout and being downwardly directed to form a combination drop catcher and handle for the convenient insertion and removal of said strainer.

2. A strainer for tea-pots and the like which' comprises in combination a curved body portion constituted of resilient wire adapted to be inserted into the spout of a teapot and to be positively retained therein by means of resilient deformation thereof, a U-shaped upper end for said body portion slightly extending beyond the upper end of said body portion and being downwardly directed to form an inconspicuous combination drop-catcher'and handle for the convenient insertion and removal of said strainer, and a plurality of resilient strainer wires having one of their ends secured to the lower end of said body portion and having their other end extending to the inner surface of said spout to form a strainer element therefor, said strainer wires being of a corrugated character to render said strainer element adaptable to spouts of varying diameter and to provide a large number of passages for the unrestricted flow of strained liquid. 

